functions of parliament in the uk
DESCRIPTION
PPT prezentationTRANSCRIPT
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starter activityWhich is the House of Lords and which is the House of Commons? Write down as many differences as you can between the two institutions.
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Why do we have Parliaments?To understand the functions of legislaturesTo evaluate the pros and cons of bicameral systems Aims
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Your taskRead Watts, p. 183 and explain the origin and meaning of the word legislature
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What is a legislature?Parliament from French word, parler (talk)Legislature from Latin for legis (law) and latio (proposing)Representative assembly empowered to make laws A medieval parliament
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Your taskWhat do parliaments do? Read Roberts, p.263 and create a spider diagram identifying the key functions of parliament.
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Law-makingParliament is the UK legislatureSupreme law-making bodyConvention that legislation should be fully discussed before it is put to a voteThe judiciary is separate from the executive in the UK. Why do some analysts think this is a key strength of Britains constitutional setup?
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RepresentationAs an elected body, the HoC is expected to reflect public opinion and respond to widely held grievancesMinority viewpoints should at least be allowed a hearingTo what extent do you think the HoC truly represents minority groups?
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DebateApart from discussing legislation parliament is regarded as the proper place to debate issues of national concern even if they cannot be affected by a change in the law, e.g. September 2002 Parliament recalled to discuss possibility of war in IraqPMQs. Do you think important issues of the day are properly debated in the Commons?
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Scrutiny of the executiveUnder the principle of accountability, ministers are accountable to parliament for their decisionsGovernments can be dismissed if they lose the confidence of a majority of MPsPeter Haine, who recently resigned from his Cabinet post following an investigation by the Electoral Commission
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Recruitment of ministersBy convention all ministers must be members either of the Commons or of the Lords (e.g. Baroness Amos & Lord Falconer both served in Blairs govt.)In other words, members of the executive must also be part of the legislature (unlike the USA)Baroness Amos, Sec. of State for International Affairs
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LegitimationElected part of Parliament, from which executive is largely drawnSupport from MPs provides the executive with legitimacyLoss of a vote in HoC may lead to a vote of confidence in the executive
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HomeworkRead Watts, p.183 and create a scales chart summarising the advantages and disadvantages of bicameral systems. Use the BBC news website or other sources to find examples to illustrate each of the points.
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Your taskWatch the clip from Parliament Uncovered and complete a spider diagram similar to the one below:
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Your taskLook at the cartoon on p.264 (Item A). What point is the cartoonist making? To which function of Parliament does this refer?Using items A,B & D list the different roles of the Houses of Commons and Lords.How is the US Congress different from the UK Parliamentary system? Is this any better?
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PlenaryGive arguments for and against recruiting ministers from the House of Lords or having cabinets of all the talents.